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singjai

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Bick 4 or Obenauf's LP for Filson leather? Hoping to eventually break in that chestnut color on the talon but heard one or the other could potentially darken it a shade? I know it gets darkened from conditioning but is one better than the other for bringing it back to the original color?
 

mgrennier

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Damn you!

I clicked on that link and now I have this on order. My old roll-aboard has pretty much died after 15 years. I wish it was in navy to match my Fison for BB laptop bag but then I may be too matchy-matchy when traveling (if that ever happens again).


This one would match my BB bag but too pricey:

I had that rolling carry on. LOVED it!!! Very heavy though. Especially when loaded.
 

OtterMeanGreen

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Bick 4 or Obenauf's LP for Filson leather? Hoping to eventually break in that chestnut color on the talon but heard one or the other could potentially darken it a shade? I know it gets darkened from conditioning but is one better than the other for bringing it back to the original color?

In my experience after using both I would definitely recommend using Obenauf's HDLP. Not just because it once was sold on Filson.com, but the leather of each era I've used it on (Talon, YKK, Filson-YKK), drank it up and retained it. The Bick 4 didn't absorb it and caused a wrinkling that I have yet, to this day, to be able to remove. I have applied Obenauf's to my Talon #264 and it's not even worth mentioning how much it darkened the leather, the margins were that small.

The leather was unusually dry when I took possession of this now 3 owner #264, so i applied an abundant amount of HDLP and it drank it up like water. I left a coating on it to bloom, and it came out great. Granted the leather wasn’t of the chestnut variety, but the build date was within the year Filson featured it.

885F04C9-2DD8-4A8E-B19B-5AB204138F4D.jpeg
 

singjai

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In my experience after using both I would definitely recommend using Obenauf's HDLP. Not just because it once was sold on Filson.com, but the leather of each era I've used it on (Talon, YKK, Filson-YKK), drank it up and retained it. The Bick 4 didn't absorb it and caused a wrinkling that I have yet, to this day, to be able to remove. I have applied Obenauf's to my Talon #264 and it's not even worth mentioning how much it darkened the leather, the margins were that small.

The leather was unusually dry when I took possession of this now 3 owner #264, so i applied an abundant amount of HDLP and it drank it up like water. I left a coating on it to bloom, and it came out great. Granted the leather wasn’t of the chestnut variety, but the build date was within the year Filson featured it.

View attachment 1396494
Awesome sold! Thanks very much.
 

Count de Monet

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To offer a different take, I'm a big fan of Bick 4 and have never seen it darken any leather, including light colored dress shoes. Also, my experience is the leather to which it is applied only seems to soak up what it needs and leaves the rest sitting on top to be removed. Sometimes leather can soak up more treatment than it should, leaving it too "floppy" for lack of a better term. I suppose for a luggage handle on certain Filson pieces that might be no big deal, but on shoes or ball gloves over saturated leather can be a problem. For whatever magical reason I can't explain, Bick 4 doesn't seem to cause that. Like Goldilocks, I find it gets it "just right."

Unrelated, right before the shutdown I bought a pair of large Pullmans (243), a very good shape olive (2009) and an almost NOS 2013 in tan. Next week we are going to be able to venture out for a weekend out of state via car.

So the question becomes, ... Ginger or Mary Ann?
 

OtterMeanGreen

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To offer a different take, I'm a big fan of Bick 4 and have never seen it darken any leather, including light colored dress shoes. Also, my experience is the leather to which it is applied only seems to soak up what it needs and leaves the rest sitting on top to be removed. Sometimes leather can soak up more treatment than it should, leaving it too "floppy" for lack of a better term. I suppose for a luggage handle on certain Filson pieces that might be no big deal, but on shoes or ball gloves over saturated leather can be a problem. For whatever magical reason I can't explain, Bick 4 doesn't seem to cause that. Like Goldilocks, I find it gets it "just right."

Unrelated, right before the shutdown I bought a pair of large Pullmans (243), a very good shape olive (2009) and an almost NOS 2013 in tan. Next week we are going to be able to venture out for a weekend out of state via car.

So the question becomes, ... Ginger or Mary Ann?

That was the big selling point for me when originally choosing Bickmore Bick 4, as it states that right on the bottle. However from what myself and others here have discovered, is that Filson bridle leather is a whole different breed of bridle, especially when being compared to that of Frost River (as an example). The 25+ year Talon #264 I added it to was pretty dry and in need of conditioning. Luckily I only tested the Bickmore Bick 4 in an inconspicuous area. It is still wrinkled (1.5 years later), but I can live with it. I hear Bick 4 works wonders on boots though, and I still intend on giving them another shot.

Of course YMMV and I'm glad it works for some, but I am very happy with Obenauf's HDLP, which wasn't the case when I was researching a leather conditioner for Filson, it was my last choice at the time. What sold me was that Filson recommend it and once sold it on their website for many years, before introducing their own conditioner, which I have yet to try or read about. Wonder what their secret sauce is to get future buyers to switch.
 

Rymanocerous

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To offer a different take, I'm a big fan of Bick 4 and have never seen it darken any leather, including light colored dress shoes. Also, my experience is the leather to which it is applied only seems to soak up what it needs and leaves the rest sitting on top to be removed. Sometimes leather can soak up more treatment than it should, leaving it too "floppy" for lack of a better term. I suppose for a luggage handle on certain Filson pieces that might be no big deal, but on shoes or ball gloves over saturated leather can be a problem. For whatever magical reason I can't explain, Bick 4 doesn't seem to cause that. Like Goldilocks, I find it gets it "just right."
Bick4 is mostly water, that's what you're seeing in terms of absorption. In my experience, it works ok for minor maintenance but does a poor job actually conditioning leather that needs it.
 

audog

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Bick 4 is great on boots, and most leathers. Another product to try is Venetian Shoe Cream (VSC) works great on leather, won't change color and is a favorite of shoe people.
 

OtterMeanGreen

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Here's something that you don't see very often; two powerhouse outdoor brands working together to create a collaboration. That would be like Spyderco and Benchmade working together to create the ultimate EDC knife (more on Spyderco later).

Here it is though: The Filson x Frost River Log Carrier


Frost 2.jpg


Frost.PNG
 
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OtterMeanGreen

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Found some interesting eBay listings to share with the group.

1. This is one badass Workshop Pouch and priced to sell. Love the interior stamping and riveted pocket


Workshop Pouch.PNG


2. Why do sellers try and bait people like this with search words like "Vintage" or "Rare"? If it's true, then I am certainly okay with it, but when it's blatantly false, that aggravates me, not only as a seller but as a dedicated aficionado of the brand. In these two cases the same seller is clearly misrepresenting his Filson Bags as Talon Era pieces, when that couldn't be further from the truth. What's even worse is that he is a Washington seller, so he is local to the brand and company.

Exhibit A:

I'll let you guys figure out why this is false:


Not a talon.PNG


Exhibit B:

This one doesn't even have zippers, as it is the Medium Field Bag. Even if it were a Talon, it should read "Talon Era". In this case even if it had zippers, it is not of the Talon Era, as it is being sold as NWOT and has a padded shoulder strap.


Not a talon 2.PNG
 

Rymanocerous

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Here's something that you don't see very often; two powerhouse outdoor brands working together to create a collaboration. That would be like Spyderco and Benchmade working together to create the ultimate EDC knife (more on Spyderco later).

Deets? Didnt come up with anything on a quick google quandary.
 

seven20

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I didn’t think I cared for this Oil Brown color, but with the fabric strap it looks okay. I’m using it in my car and prefer the fabric for the application and I’ll repurpose the leather elsewhere.
 

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FilsonDude

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OMG you hit the nail right there
“Why do sellers try and bait people”
Some people are specifically doing searches for ‘talon’ or ‘vintage’. These unscrupulous sellers are just looking for more hits and falsifying their titles for click bait.
 

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